“It’s the father and mother of The Dark Side Of The Moon!”: The full inside story of Pink Floyd’s Live At Pompeii – only in the new issue of Classic Rock

Let’s be honest, rock concert films can be a bit hit or miss. But one that definitely hit is Pink Floyd Live At Pompeii. And now it’s back, with a new revamped, remixed version coming to cinemas next month.

To celebrate the release of Pink Floyd At Pompeii MCMLXXII (note no ‘Live’ and the added numerals), we talked with Floyd drummer Nick Mason and the man behind the new mix, Steven Wilson, about the new version, how it fits into Pink Floyd’s decadeslong legacy, and also how the original film came to be made.

The new issue also includes two Pink Floyd gifts: an official laptop sticker and a giant film poster (available to all subscribers, all online purchasers and at UK newsstands).

Elsewhere, we have a chat with The Darkness as they release their new Dreams On Toast LP, and look back at the making of two very different albums of the 80s – namely Gary Moore’s Run For Cover and Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet. And there’s much more…

Sadly, we lost a fair few rock icons to the great gig in the sky this month. We learned of the passing of The Damned’s Brian James just before we went to press, and will pay tribute to him next issue.

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Features

Pink Floyd
With a new updated version about to hit cinemas, we look back at the making of Pink Floyd Live At Pompeii, with recollections from drummer Nick Mason, director Adrian Maben and more.

Steven Wilson
Mr Busy on his new solo album, the wonder of space, being a control freak, being prog (or not), Porcupine Tree and more.

Bon Jovi
With the way paved by monster hit Livin’ On A Prayer, Slippery When Wet propelled the band to superstardom.

Smith/Kotzen
Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith and one-time shredder Richie Kotzen’s joint musical venture is no vanity project.

Gary Moore
After leaving Thin Lizzy he made some creditable solo albums in the 80s, then he struck rock gold with Run For Cover.

The Darkness
Defiance makes them the eccentrics that they are, as demonstrated on new album Dreams On Toast.

Envy Of None
Second time’s a charm for Rush’s Alex Lifeson as he returns with a new album alongside his collaborators in Envy Of None.

Goo Goo Dolls
As A Boy Named Goo turns 30, the band tell the story of the album that took them from alt.rock to the mainstream.


The cover of Classic Rock 339, featuring Pink Floyd at Pompeii

(Image credit: Future)


Regulars

The Dirt
Ozzy Osbourne will do “little bits and pieces” at Black Sabbath’s Villa Park show; Bad Company and The Black Crowes among Hall Of Fame 2025 nominees; Iron Maiden and Motörhead miss out again; Welcome back Lacuna Coil and Bumblefoot; Say hello to Himalayas and Sons Of Silver; Say goodbye to David Johansen, Rick Buckler, Joey Molland and more.

The Stories Behind The Songs: Bush
A song that its writer at first thought he’d ripped off from someone else’s, Glycerine became their biggest US hit and helped its parent album Sixteen Stone sell more than five million copies.

The Hot List
We look at some of the essential new tracks you need to hear and the artists to have on your radar. This month they include Samantha Fish, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown, When Rivers Meet, The Rattlebacks, The Blue Stones and more.

Reviews
New albums from Masters Of Reality, Smith/Kotzen, Those Damn Crows, Envy Of None, Amplifier, Don Airey, Gotthard, L.A. Guns, Simon McBride; Reissues from Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes, Rush, Dio, Yes, Fleetwood Mac, Motörhead, Big Big Train, Pete Townshend; DVDs, films and books on Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, The Yardbirds; Live reviews of Uriah Heep, Beth Hart, Opeth, Frank Black, The Godfathers and more.

Buyer’s Guide: Pretenders
Pulling together strands of various music styles, Chrissie Hynde steered the regularly changing band to deserved major success.

Lives
We preview tours by Asia, Kula Shaker and Tygers Of Pan Tang. Plus gig listings – who’s playing where and when.

The Soundtrack Of My Life: Simon McBride
Deep Purple guitarist and solo artist Simon McBride picks his records, artists and gigs of lasting significance.

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“The haters won’t stop us from doing what we do”: Geoff Downes on Asia’s new lineup and the band’s future plans

Originally comprised of former members of Yes (guitarist Steve Howe and keyboard player Geoffrey Downes), King Crimson (bassist/vocalist John Wetton) and ELP (drummer Carl Palmer), Asia’s aural slush puppy of soft rock and prog produced a self-titled debut that became America’s best seller of 1982.

Forty-three years later, Downes – a last link with those days – and a new line-up play three nights in which they will be performing the first three Asia albums in full, one per night, at Trading Boundaries in Sussex.

Lightning bolt page divider

This line-up of Asia debuted at the John Wetton Tribute show in 2023.

It was a brilliant night, lots of great people including Rick Wakeman came along. Bill Bruford even stepped out of retirement to be a part of it all. It showed what a great impact John had on so many artists. It was also a trigger for going out on the road in America last summer with Martin Turner, Focus and Curved Air.

That first show as the ‘new’ Asia must have been an emotional and stressful experience for you.

It was, yeah. From my own standpoint it was great to carry on with the music that John and I wrote together all those years ago. I know that John would have been appreciative of that happening.

John’s widow Lisa believes he would have “endorsed” the band’s continuation as he “wanted the music to live on”.

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That’s correct. For me, the last thing I wanted was to put Asia music into a locker and say I’ll never do that again. And now we’ve got the opportunity to get back out there again and play those first three albums, which were so significant. Of course there’s a type of keyboard warrior who noisily disagrees.

Do you take any perverse interest in such negativity?

It can be quite funny if you choose to look at it that way. Everybody’s got a voice, and some of the comments are quite amusing, but I’m long enough in the tooth to brush off that sort of thing and just keep moving. The haters won’t stop us from doing what we do.

Asia – Heat Of The Moment (Official Music Video) – YouTube Asia - Heat Of The Moment (Official Music Video) - YouTube

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Could you tell us about the other members of Asia 2025, starting with guitarist John Mitchell?

John was in the [solo] band of the other John [Wetton] for quite some time and they had a very good relationship. He was also a member of the Icon project that I had with John Wetton, so I’m very happy that he agreed to become a part of this new Asia.

Mitchell is also an accomplished singer. Was any thought given to him becoming the frontman?

John is a great vocalist, but when I discovered Harry that really changed the game. That’s Harry Whitley, on bass and lead vocals. Yeah. Harry is another great musician. He has a fantastic understanding of John’s voice. At the time, Harry was working on a farm in North Wales, and I thought: “He’s got all the right credentials” [laughs]. I called him up, he came on board and we had our lead singer.

How exactly did you find him?

Harry sent some Asia covers via Twitter, and they were so good they gave me a chill down my spine. People will be very impressed by him. At times you close your eyes and it’s quite eerie – he could be John. He’s only thirty. It’s good to have some young blood in the band, it brings the average age down quite a bit.

And Virgil Donati played drums with Planet X and Ring Of Fire.

John [Wetton] had worked with Virgil in UK, so there was a connection there. Carl [Palmer] was very busy with his ELP show [Welcome Back My Friends], so Virgil came in. He’s really warmed to the subtleties of the material.

Asia – Only Time Will Tell (Official Music Video) – YouTube Asia - Only Time Will Tell (Official Music Video) - YouTube

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Across three nights at Trading Boundaries this line-up will play the first three Asia albums.

It’ll take an enormous amount of preparation, because some of those albums were years in the making. Rattling them off will be a heck of a challenge, no doubt about it, but it’s one that we are relishing.

Are any songs yet to be performed live, maybe from Astra?

We only ever did Voice Of America from Astra, so that show will have a lot of very, very deep cuts. It wasn’t everyone’s favourite, but there’s a posse of fans that really, really loves it.

Many fans will be unable to make it to Sussex. What about recording these three shows, or taking the concept on the road?

We will definitely record the Trading Boundaries shows, and then we head straight off to Japan to do the same thing. I’d be well up for touring it in Britain – so we’re open to offers.

What’s going on with your other band, Yes?

We’ve been working on an album for the past six months. Steve [Howe, guitarist and now producer] is at the helm and I think it will be out later in the year.

Will there be any new music from Asia?

It’s being talked about. I’ve even got some stuff that I worked on with John [Wetton] many years ago, so recording that might be interesting.

Asia play Trading Boundaries on in East Sussex on April 10, 11 and 12.

“The soundtrack to the greatest rock’n’roll soap opera ever”: The mightiest Fleetwood Mac line-up albums in one handy box

You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.

For those few remaining souls who don’t own most of this already, here’s the five albums recorded by the mightiest Fleetwood Mac line-up in one handy box. There’s no new remastering and no extras apart from “crystal-clear” vinyl and a limited edition that includes Silver Springs, the B-side that should have been on Rumours.

What you get is the soundtrack to the greatest rock’n’roll soap opera ever. Mick Fleetwood must still mutter a daily prayer of gratitude for running into Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks (whose 1973 Buckingham Nicks is Mac in all but name). Their contribution to 1975’s Fleetwood Mac saved the band for being blues boom relics and surely made worrying about household bills a thing of the past. Stevie Nicks’ Rhiannon and Landslide are deservedly immortal and Christine McVie delivered pop perfection with Say You Love Me, something she does repeatedly across these discs.

Fleetwood Mac – Tusk (Official Music Video) – YouTube Fleetwood Mac - Tusk (Official Music Video) - YouTube

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Rumours, still in the UK Vinyl top 20, is the most nakedly personal 40 million-odd seller you’ll find. It’s all marvellous but The Chain, the only song credited to all five members, is especially great and that Formula 1-soundtracking breakdown heralded by John McVie’s nimble bass playing remains spectacular despite the track’s enduring ubiquity.

Legend has it that Tusk was where Buckingham went off the rails, cutting his hair and recording new wave-ish oddities like The Ledge. That’s only half the picture, however, as Nicks and McVie were still ‘knocking out’ the likes of Sara and Think About Me and the title track proves he retained a passing interest in the buttered side of the bread. It’s justifiably hailed as a bit of a masterpiece.

Fleetwood Mac – Little Lies (Official Music Video) – YouTube Fleetwood Mac - Little Lies (Official Music Video) - YouTube

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1982’s Mirage, an attempt to recover lost commercial ground, might be the runt of this litter but it’s impossible to diss the breezy Oh Diane, Nicks’s Gypsy, and McVie’s gorgeous Hold Me which hinted where they’d go next. Tango In The Night (1987) plays like a Greatest Hits album thanks to Seven Wonders, Everywhere, and Little Lies. The tumbling arpeggios of Buckingham’s breathless Big Love is the highlight but the album’s an embarrassment of riches, as is this box.

If you’ve just arrived on the planet and music is new to you, then buy this because it’s all gold. The rest of us need only listen again to be reminded of The Mac’s undeniable greatness.

Pat Carty is a writer for Irish monthly music and politics magazine Hot Press. You’ll also find him at The Times, Irish Independent, Irish Times and Irish Examiner, and on radio wherever it’s broadcast.

“This collection embodies both the best and worst of Townshend the artist and arch conceptualist”: An overview of the solo career of Pete Townshend, the man who never meant to have a solo career

You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.

As Pete Townshend admits in the foreword to the 28-page booklet that accompanies this lavish collection, he never really intended to have a solo career. His debut album, 1972’s beautifully serene and heartfelt Who Came First, was compiled from demos recorded for The Who’s aborted Lifehouse project (namely Pure And Easy, Let’s See Action and Time Is Passing) plus some songs he’d donated to a couple of limited edition tribute albums to his guru Meher Baba.

Much softer, gentler and more introspectively spiritual than anything he’d ever ask Roger Daltrey to sing, they would only make sense to the listening public if Townshend released them under his own name. And so Pete Townshend, Solo Artist, was born.

Pete Townshend – Rough Boys – YouTube Pete Townshend - Rough Boys - YouTube

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The seven albums of original material he released during various sabbaticals from The Who are all here: Who Came First; Rough Mix; Empty Glass; All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes; White City: A Novel; The Iron Man: The Musical By Pete Townshend; and two versions of Psychoderelict, one with the interlinking ‘radio play’ dialogue intact and one with the music only.

Taken as a whole, this collection embodies both the best and worst of Townshend the artist and arch conceptualist. It’s no coincidence that his strongest solo albums – the first three – are more or less unencumbered by any overarching conceits; they’re ‘just’ a selection of songs by one of rock’s greatest ever songwriters.

Pete Townshend – Let My Love Open The Door – YouTube Pete Townshend - Let My Love Open The Door - YouTube

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Things start to go awry whenever he gets embarrassingly pretentious or embarks upon a cumbersome concept album/ rock opera. While one can’t fault The Seeker’s restless, if occasionally overreaching, ambition, there is nothing on the last five discs to match the monumental heights of Tommy or Quadrophenia. And that’s putting it mildly.

Still, as well as Who Came First, it’s nice to become reacquainted with the country-folkish rock of Rough Mix, Townshend’s warm and friendly collaboration with great mate Ronnie Lane, and 1980’s new wave-adjacent Empty Glass, which includes the effervescently poptastic US top 10 hit Let My Love Open The Door and the raucously homoerotic Rough Boys – wouldn’t you just love to hear Daltrey belt out that one? A sadly missed opportunity.

Paul Whitelaw writes about television, comedy, films, books and music. From 2006 to 2013 he was a TV critic for The Scotsman. From 2013 to 2023 he wrote a weekly TV column for The Courier. Credits also include BBC Music, BBC Radio Scotland’s The Afternoon Show, BFI Screenonline, The Big Issue, Broadcast, Empire, The Guardian, The Lady, Melody Maker, Metro, Mill, Radio Times, Scotland On Sunday, The Sunday Times, The Word and Shindig!

“It’s not about that guy from Rush any more,” says Alex Lifeson. But with four and a half solos, it’s great to have him using those colours again on Envy Of None’s Stygian Wavz

You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.

“It’s not about that guy from Rush any more – not that there’s anything wrong with him!” Alex Lifeson says about Envy Of None’s second album.

The group put together by former Coney Hatch bassist Andy Curran and producer/keyboardist Alfio Annibali, before star-signing Lifeson and singer Maiah Wynne arrived, certainly cements their unique sound with the follow-up to 2022’s self-titled debut.

But dig deep, and links to the ex-Rush guitarist’s past exist.

‘Stygian’, meaning ‘very dark’, has etymological roots in the River Styx from Greek mythology, as mentioned by Rush in 1975’s By-Tor And The Snow Dog. Now, 50 years on, the syntactically maverick title Stygian Wavz refers to what Lifeson calls “turbulence at the gates of Hell.” The phrase works well as a descriptor for the dystopia that’s seemingly unfolding.

Envy of None – The Story – Official Video (taken from ‘Stygian Wavz’) – YouTube Envy of None - The Story - Official Video (taken from 'Stygian Wavz') - YouTube

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As on their first album, Wynne is crucial to Envy Of None’s appeal. Her sultry, unflustered vocals, sometimes as much breath as note, give a slightly gothic tinge to the electronic prog-pop/industrial rock material on offer.

There’s something Neil Peart-like about The End’s altruistic message

Nine Inch Nails and Garbage once again seem to be reference points, but the songwriting is stronger this time. It’s evident that the foursome have a stronger sense of each others’ strengths and how best to marry them.

Driving, rather funky opener Not Dead Yet raises a middle finger to those in the music industry dismissive of artists in their twilight years. Later, penultimate song The End seems less defiant, wholly acceptant of mortality. There’s something Neil Peart-like about the latter’s altruistic message: ‘What you get is what you give,’ sings Wynne over dark chords with gravitas.

Envy Of None Stygian Waves – Official Video (taken from the album ‘Stygian Wavz’) – YouTube Envy Of None Stygian Waves - Official Video (taken from the album 'Stygian Wavz') - YouTube

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It’s clear Envy Of None aren’t just someone’s side-project. Witness the surety of the chewy, analogue synth and skanking guitar textures on Raindrops; or the powerful, driving The Story, wherein Wynne’s airy vocals seduce again.

Lifeson being Lifeson, it would be remiss not to report that he plays at least four – maybe four and a half – actual guitar solos on Stygian Wavz. The one on dark ballad Under The Stars is particularly gratifying. How great to have him using those colours in his palette once again.

Now that Envy Of None look like they’re here for keeps, it’ll be interesting to see what bearing that has on his former Rush bandmate, Geddy Lee. Will he, too, be galvanised into joining or forming a new band, teaming with old friends or newer, younger talents? It’s certainly done Lifeson a power of good.

Stygian Wavs is on sale now via Kscope.

James McNair grew up in East Kilbride, Scotland, lived and worked in London for 30 years, and now resides in Whitley Bay, where life is less glamorous, but also cheaper and more breathable. He has written for Classic Rock, Prog, Mojo, Q, Planet Rock, The Independent, The Idler, The Times, and The Telegraph, among other outlets. His first foray into print was a review of Yum Yum Thai restaurant in Stoke Newington, and in many ways it’s been downhill ever since. His favourite Prog bands are Focus and Pavlov’s Dog and he only ever sits down to write atop a Persian rug gifted to him by a former ELP roadie. 

Watch Paramore’s Hayley Williams join Deftones to sing Minerva in Nashville

Paramore’s Hayley Williams joined Deftones onstage for a performance of the nu metal-era band’s 2003 track Minerva.

The frontwoman sang with Chino Moreno and company onstage during their show in Nashville on Wednesday (March 26). Watch the footage below.

This isn’t the first time Williams has joined Deftones for a song live. In 2010, she sang White Pony favourite Passenger with the band during a show in Luxembourg.

Deftones, who released Minerva as the lead single of their self-titled album, stopped at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena as part of their ongoing North American tour with The Mars Volta. They played a career-spanning 20-song setlist including such hits as Change (In The House Of Flies), Hole In The Earth and Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away).

Meanwhile, The Mars Volta have reportedly been playing material from an as-yet-unreleased studio album called Lucro Sucio; Los Ojos Del Vacio. According to a recent report by Brooklyn Vegan, the progressive rockers’ ninth album will come out on April 11 and is available for preorder. One Reddit user claims to have heard the album after being given Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s personal copy by the frontman himself.

Deftones and The Mars Volta will tour North America together until April 9. After that, Deftones will head to Europe for a leg of festival slots and headline shows. The tour includes stops at London’s 15,000-capacity Crystal Palace Park and The Eden Project in the West Country. They’ll also appear at Glastonbury festival.

The band are also set to headline two shows at Rogers Stadium in Toronto, Canada, alongside System Of A Down on September 3 and 5. The gigs are part of a larger North American run in August and September.

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See all of Deftones’ upcoming live plans and get tickets via their website.

Deftones released their latest album Ohms in 2020 and have been working on a follow-up. In an interview with Billboard Español in December, Moreno said the band’s new album will drop in 2025.

Paramore released their sixth and latest album, This Is Why, in 2023. The band have no future tour dates set at time of publication.

Deftones – Minerva ft Hayley Williams (Live Nashville 3/26/25) – YouTube Deftones - Minerva ft Hayley Williams (Live Nashville 3/26/25) - YouTube

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Watch Bruce Springsteen and Flea Play ‘Because the Night’ in NYC

Watch Bruce Springsteen and Flea Play ‘Because the Night’ in NYC

Bruce Springsteen and Flea joined forces on Wednesday night in New York City for a performance of “Because the Night.”

It was part of People Have The Power: A Celebration of Patti Smith, which took place at Carnegie Hall. Springsteen and Flea played with Tony Shanahan, a longtime member of Smith’s own band, plus Charlie Sexton, a regular guitarist in Bob Dylan‘s touring band, and Steve Jordan, the Rolling Stones‘ touring drummer.

Other artists to perform at the show, which raised money for underserved youth music programs, included Karen O, Michael Stipe and Johnny Depp.

You can watch fan-filmed footage of “Because the Night” below.

Why Bruce Springsteen Gave ‘Because the Night’ to Patti Smith

Springsteen originally tried recording “Because the Night” with his E Street Band in June of 1977, but felt it lacking. His producer, Jimmy Iovine, then gave Smith a tape of the song, who added lyrics and recorded it with her band the Patti Smith Group for their 1978 album Easter. It was a hit, reaching No. 13 in the U.S. and No. 5 in the U.K.

“I was a tremendous admirer of Patti, you know,” Springsteen would later explain for the book Why Patti Smith Matters (via Variety), “and I was just flattered that she was interested in collaborating, and I was just happy that she found something that she could do with the song, you know, because that song would still be in my archives if it wasn’t for her. And it would be something that nobody had ever heard of.”

Bruce Springsteen Live Albums Ranked

Longtime fans will tell you his studio records are only half the story – concert performances are the other, and maybe more essential, part.

Gallery Credit: Michael Gallucci

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John 5’s Failed First Attempt to Get Gene Simmons’ Autograph

John 5’s Failed First Attempt to Get Gene Simmons’ Autograph
Fryderyk Gabowicz / SGranitz, Getty Images

John 5 said he once spent five hours on the hunt for an autograph from Gene Simmons – then at the last moment decided not to take it.

The incident took place when the future Motley Crue guitarist was around 13 or 14 years old, and Kiss were playing Detroit one night in the early ‘80s.

“I wanted to meet my heroes and I was waiting at the Pontchartrain Hotel,” 5 told 101 WRIF in a recent interview (video below). “I’m this little kid, skipping school; kind of preppy and all that stuff. And I’m the only one in the lobby.”

READ MORE: John 5 Responds to Accusations of Guitar Miming With Motley Crue

He’d identified the correct hotel when he saw tour buses parked outside; and the scene was to become familiar to him. “I was waiting there all day — all day,” he said. He recalled thinking, “Hopefully he’ll come down and have something to eat or go get coffee… or who knows, one of the guys.”

That’s more or less how it went down. “So, here comes Gene Simmons! He was walking out of the bus into the hotel. And I had my Originals booklet… I said, ‘Mr. Simmons! Mr. Simmons!’’And he walked right by me. I’m this little kid.”

When Gene Simmons and Young John 5 Shared an Elevator

5 wasn’t going to give up, though. “And he gets in the elevator; and I was like, ‘Screw this!’ So I get in the elevator too. And he’s standing there, and I have my booklet and my little marker.”

Soon came the moment that made the day so memorable. “The elevator opens to his floor, and he goes, ‘You want me to sign that?’ And I go, ‘No, it’s okay.’ Isn’t that great?

“True story. I don’t know what it was; I was just so, like, upset… I was no threat – I was just a little kid. … I was waiting there for, like, five hours, and he goes, ‘You want me to sign that?’ And I was like, ‘No, it’s okay.’ Then the elevator shut!”

5 will be inviting fans to enjoy his massive collection of classic-era Kiss memorabilia with the Knights in Satan’s Service museum, which opens in May of 2025.

Watch John 5’s Interview with 101 WRIF

Kiss Live Albums Ranked Worst to Best

You wanted the best, you get the best.. and the rest.

Gallery Credit: Matthew Wilkening

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Kansas’ Ronnie Platt on Recent Cancer Fight: ‘I Feel Very Lucky’

For Kansas vocalist Ronnie Platt, it was a moment where his entire life flashed before his eyes after he heard the news he had cancer.

“You know, I’m a singer that sings a couple high notes and not knowing anything about what I had, it was pretty scary,” he said during a conversation for the UCR Podcast. “The first thing that entered my mind was, okay, how much time do I have?” Thankfully, a little more than a month and a half after revealing his diagnosis of thyroid cancer, Platt is walking with a clean bill of health and preparing to return to the road with Kansas on April 4 in Ivins, Utah. But as he shared, it’s been an emotional journey.

After his initial diagnosis, he went to seek a second opinion and found out the doctor wouldn’t be able to see him until mid-April. Thanks to lucky circumstance, it turned out that guitarist Frank Sintich, his former bandmate in the ’80s Chicago-area band Chaser, had a direct connection. His girlfriend worked for the very doctor that he was trying to get in and see. Before he knew it, he was set for an appointment with Dr. Peter Angelos at the University of Chicago. By late February, he was scheduled for surgery on March 4.

As his doctors discovered, the cancer itself was possibly the result of radiation therapy he’d had in the early ’60s when his parents took him in as a young child to address a birthmark on the tip of his nose. It was something that had been incubating potentially for decades, but also was slow-moving, to the point that his doctor told him, “For [these] nodules to impact your life, you’d have to live to be 150 years old.” Though it was stressful navigating through the series of appointments and logistics, Platt is grateful with how things ultimately worked out.

How He’s Feeling Now

“It was just crazy how everything [eventually] fell into place so seamlessly,” he says. “My cousin Karen and her husband Bill took me to the hospital. They checked me in and I was out before [I knew it]. You know, [they’ve got] good drugs in them hospitals. [Platt chuckles]. The next thing I know, I’m waking up in the recovery room. All the doctor had to do is take the nodule. I still have my thyroid. It’s unbelievable. I think I was awake for an hour in the recovery room and I walked [out]. I didn’t take a wheelchair. I walked the length of that hospital to the parking garage. They gave me a prescription for pain, I never even opened the bottle. I had no pain and you can’t even see [where they went in for the procedure].”

“Here we are, 20 days [after] my surgery and I’m going to be back to work April 4 in Ivins, Utah,” he continues. “It’s just amazing. It was such a crazy roller coaster ride to find out what was going on with me and really, having the thought of, how much life do I have left? Then learning so much stuff, the ups and downs of dealing with the insurance and the frustrations to come out with the absolute most positive, uplifting outcome that could possibly happen [is wonderful].”

READ MORE: Kansas and 38 Special Announce Summer 2025 Tour

“It really feels like it was just a bump in the road,” he concludes. “When I think about other friends who have gone through things like chemotherapy and being sick all of the time. I haven’t gone through that and I feel very lucky. I really feel lucky that Mother Nature sent me up a flag. You know, something told me, ‘Don’t put off seeing a doctor this time.’ The things that happened, the people that helped me and [those who] I met along the way were just amazing.”

Listen to Ronnie Platt on the ‘UCR Podcast’

Kansas Albums Ranked

These American progressive rock heroes went on a dramatic career arc.

Gallery Credit: Gary Graff

10 Best Songs About Shoes, Sneakers And Boots

From boots made for walking to diamonds sparkling on shoes, rock and pop history have always found creative inspiration at our feet. Our article exploring the 10 Best Songs About Boots, Sneakers, and Shoes showcases how musicians across generations have turned footwear into vivid metaphors, timeless style statements, and memorable symbols of life’s journey. Nigel Olsson gracefully opens the countdown at number ten with “Dancin’ Shoes,” a soft-rock gem known for its breezy melody and charming vocals, reflecting the easygoing spirit of late ’70s pop. Following at number nine, Soundgarden’s “Boot Camp” dives into introspection, serving as a powerful closer from their 1996 album Down on the Upside, highlighting Chris Cornell’s evocative lyrics on isolation and internal struggle.

At number eight, Paul Simon takes a culturally rich detour with “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes,” blending American pop with traditional South African rhythms, an innovative highlight from his celebrated Graceland album. Elvis Costello’s “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes,” coming in at number seven, epitomizes the New Wave era with sharp lyrics, energetic melodies, and a classic rock sensibility. The Beatles step in at number six with “Old Brown Shoe,” a Harrison-penned track notable for its rhythmic complexity and soulful edge, further showcasing the band’s endless versatility.

Jeff Beck’s instrumental fusion masterpiece “Led Boots” secures the number five spot, demonstrating extraordinary musicianship and groundbreaking jazz-rock experimentation from his acclaimed Wired album. Bob Dylan offers poignant storytelling at number four with “Boots of Spanish Leather,” a hauntingly beautiful ballad exploring distance and emotional longing. The Eagles at number three present “Those Shoes,” a gritty, funk-infused rock track distinguished by Joe Walsh’s signature talk-box guitar and lyrics that reflect nightlife excess.

Elvis Presley electrifies at number two with “Blue Suede Shoes,” a foundational rock anthem showcasing the King’s dynamic energy and charisma, forever embedding footwear in the rock ‘n’ roll lexicon. Finally, Nancy Sinatra triumphantly closes our countdown at number one with “These Boots Are Made for Walking,” a timeless anthem of female empowerment and independence, driven by unforgettable swagger and a relentlessly catchy rhythm. Each song on this eclectic list exemplifies how artists have turned simple shoes into enduring musical legends.